Assembly speaker calls for disclosure of negotiation process surrounding UNESCO listing of Sado mines

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik bangs the gavel during a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged the government, Tuesday, to disclose the entire process of negotiations surrounding UNESCO's listing of Japan’s Sado mines, a controversial site linked to the wartime forced labor of Koreans.

The government, which had initially opposed the listing, agreed to Japan’s inscription of the complex of mines on the Japanese island of Sado on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites after accepting Tokyo’s promise to reflect the “whole history” of Korean forced labor at the site through exhibitions and an annual memorial service.

Woo pointed out that Japan has been repeatedly using the phrase “laborers from the Korean Peninsula” in what he sees as an attempt to deny forced labor. This comes despite an agreement reached by Korea and Japan concerning the site, where thousands of Koreans were subjected to forced labor during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.

“I hope the government takes this as an opportunity to ask Japan to provide a list of victims of forced labor during wartime. Many were forcibly taken as military and non-military laborers. However, their whereabouts, including where they were taken, for how long they were forced to labor and how they sacrificed are unknown,” Woo said in a statement.

“Our government placed significance on Japan’s promise to hold a memorial service. But shouldn’t we first check who are being commemorated? We should request Japan hand over the list of Korean forced laborers and bank books of Korean workers held by the Japan Post Bank, documents that can confirm the reality of forced labor.”

His statement comes a week after the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized the government for engaging in “treacherous diplomacy,” accusing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration of aiding Japan’s efforts to erase its colonial past. Yoon has sought to improve ties with Japan to strengthen the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation amid heightened tensions with North Korea, Russia and China.

It is extremely rare for an Assembly speaker to address a diplomatic issue, especially alone, but Woo insisted that the Assembly has an obligation to clarify concerns regarding the government’s handling of foreign affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there has been requests for explanations and data from the National Assembly before and after the negotiations surrounding UNESCO listing of Japan’s Sado mines. “We will review the Assembly’s stance carefully and provide further explanation if required,” a ministry official said, adding that specific details of the negotiations are confidential.